Cliff Lee is obviously the best free agent on the market this winter, and while the Brewers need pitching, it’s probably safe to say the Brewers won’t be a serious contender for his services. That apparently won’t stop them from at least throwing their hat into the ring. From the New York Daily News:

Now that baseball’s most attractive free agent is allowed to speak freely with all 30 teams, Lee‘s agent, Darek Braunecker, was certainly a popular guy Sunday.

According to a major-league source, several teams, including the Yankees, reached out to Braunecker on the first day of free agency to express their interest in the stud lefthander.

Hey, it can’t hurt to try. You might remember the Brewers briefly being discussed as one of the possible contenders for John Lackey last winter. I expect this to end the same way — the Brewers might throw a courtesy offer at Lee, but don’t think they’ll be anything other than a bargaining tool for Lee.

Still, it can’t hurt to have your name out there. I kind of see it like I saw the Bobby Valentine rumors — at least it gets people talking about your team, even if it’s not totally realistic.